Mirza threatens to kill Geo reporter
KARACHI: On the very first day of taking charge of the Ministry of Works and Services, Zulfiqar Mirza failed to make secret his anger and vindictiveness against the media and launched an undisguised attack on the freedom of the press.
While disallowing the Geo News team from covering his tour of the MA Jinnah Road Light House area, he threatened to kill the reporter on duty and ordered his guards to snatch the media team’s camera, microphone, bullet-proof jackets, helmet, and DVs.
The minister’s convoy, comprising over-a-dozen mobiles and an army of both uniformed and plainclothes guards, snatched the equipment of the media team at gunpoint. The minister used abusive and vulgar language against the media. He kept showering profane language at senior anchorpersons and TV journalists.
Later, on his orders, the police tried to bundle the Geo News team into a police mobile and during this fracas, the minister pulled the office identity cards of reporter Shoaib Burney and cameraman Zubairuddin from around their necks.
Journalists have termed the senior minister’s behaviour as ‘savage and shameful’ and called the incident a blatant attack on the freedom of the press. Expressing unmitigated indignation, journalists have demanded an appropriate action from authorities against this abuse of power by someone who claims to be a representative of the people.
Source: The News
Date:7/11/2011
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